Volume 44, Nº 11 (2019)

The study presents methods and examples of using satellite-based products developed by the Planeta Research Center for Space Hydrometeorology to monitor natural hazards (floods, fires, tropical cyclones, environmental pollution, volcanic activity, etc.) on the territory of Russia.

The long-term changes in annual maximum flow for the unregulated rivers of the Russian Federation are analyzed using data from 513 Roshydromet gaging stations. The following are evaluated: linear trends in the series of maximum river flow for the period of 1950–2016 and its statistical characteristics (mean values, variance, the number of years with the exceeding of the 10% probability maximum runoff) for two multiyear periods (the modern climate warming and the previous one). As a result, the zoning of the Russian territory is made according to the direction and intensity of modern changes in these parameters. The probability of historical maxima registered for the rivers at the beginning of the 21st century is estimated.

The overview of papers dealing with the history of development and the current state of thunderstorm nowcasting technologies is presented. A role of information on thunderstorms obtained from different sources (satellites, radars, lightning detectors, ground-based microwave radiometers) and the significance of output data of numerical weather prediction models for thunderstorm nowcasting are shown. The features of thunderstorm nowcasting systems used in the national meteorological services are discussed.

Droughts on the territory of Russia and their impact on the crop productivity are briefly described. Drought risk maps and the current and future drought indices are discussed. The Russian drought monitoring system based on the ground information is considered. The possibility of using satellite data for the operational drought monitoring is assessed. The results of the evaluation of the crop state and droughts based on surface and satellite data are given.

Wind shear is detected by retrieving the wind profiles calculated using the estimated average frequency of the signal received by the weather radar. The height range and the resolution of the data obtained are not satisfactory for aviation being the main consumer of this information. A new solution of this problem is presented in the paper. It is based on the estimates of the spectrum width of reflected signals and meets the demands made. Data of the storm warning system of the Russian Federation form the base for the new method. The model of the spectrum width map obtained in the presence of wind shear and its numerical and analytic solutions are described. A method for the wind shear estimation is formulated, data of experimental studies on its verification are given.